Category: Gates and Fences

The first thing people notice about a garden is its boundaries. However, boundaries remain the last element of the garden to be properly planned. Most of the boundaries have been treated as after-thoughts. It is not until the boundaries fail that the owners have to make last-minute decisions.

Price range on boundaries is the most variable of all garden elements because “a fence” can be a cheap stock fence for £15 – £35 per meter or a high range of composite fence for £120 – £200 per meter. A typical 6 ft timber panel for the back of the garden is most common and costs £85 – £180 for supply and installation on each meter. That would put a typical length of 15 meters around £1,500 – £2,700. For a relatively low price of £500 – £900 you can get lap panels for the boundary and have a 10 meter length installed. For a closeboard boundary with concrete posts the price would range from £1,200 – £1,800 for the same length. Labour would be £150 – £250 per day for one worker and would cost more to have the installation done over a long period of time labor would cost much more. Two workers would serve the purpose better and would be more cost effective as they could do the job in two days.

Legally, height is important, in addition to aesthetics. In most situations, a garden fence typically does not require planning permission up to 2 meters, however that drops to 1 meter when the fence borders a public highway. Conservation areas and listed buildings do not allow 2 meters. It is best to check with the local council before procuring materials since it only takes 5 minutes.

Gates are priced separately from the fence run and people are caught off guard at this point. A metal garden gate or timber garden gate usually costs £250 to £700 and the price range is correlated to the ease of access of the gate and the additional work needed. A metal gate is more expensive than a timber gate, however, in the long run, less maintenance is required. Timber gates need to be treated, otherwise they will start to rot and somewhat likely do for the fencing that is currently being replaced.

Screening is somewhere in the middle of fencing and planting, and many gardens choose to ignore it. Trellis panels and a run of woven willow can be used to soften a harsh boundary, and these are typically used when the fence is structurally okay, but too low and too open. Like many things, this is a cheaper option than replacement.

Here we will discuss selecting and costing hedges/fences appropriately, considering the trade-offs, information needed to design better-lasting gates, and the specifics of soil draining and post depth that determine where on the quote spectrum, high or low, the best quote actually lies for the garden.